United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

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44 SMITHSONIAN STUDIES IN HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGYarises an inverted conical tube, fluted, ornamented by anheraldic eagle with star above his head.The top of the tube ends in four triangular points. Widthof tube across top, one (1) inch. The plume is fastened tothe top of this socket by means of a brass pin one-fourth(Yi) of an inch thick, four and three-quarters (4^4) incheslong, with ornamented button at upper and screw-thread atlower end.The latter enters through the socket and helmet, and isfastened at the inside by means of a brass washer one andseven-eighths {lYs) inch diameter, and a thumb-nut. Theplume is held in a drooping position by the head of theabove-mentioned brass pin, and a brass disk, one and onefourth(154) inch diameter, laid under the woven top partof the plume and resting on the points of the socket.[Adopted May 31, 1876.]Scrolls and Rings for Helmet.—One on each side, betweenthe leaf-shaped points of the top piece, its lower edge onehalf(/a) inch below these points.The scroll is three-fourths (%) inch in diameter, ornamentedto correspond with the fastening of the top piece.On the top of the scroll, in the center, is an eye of thinwire three-sixteenth (%6) of an inch high, holding a thinbrass ring one-half (/a) inch in diameter, to keep the cordsand bands in position.The stem of scroll is formed of two pieces of thin brasswire to fasten it at the inside of helmet. [Adopted May 31,1876.]A number of enlisted models of the helmet havebeen examined, including one sealed sample, andone officer's model that formerly belonged to Lt.Col. George A. Custer. The sealed sample carriesthe maker's label of Horstmann Bros. &: Co., whomade the pattern helmet for the uniform boardand who was the first contractor for the model,'"and thus may very well pre-date the specifications(Figure 29). In any case, the sample conformsclosely and the other enlisted examples follow withinallowable tolerances. Although the lithographsaccompanying General Order No. 76 state that theheadgear pictured are "1/2 size of pattern," there isa noticeable difference in the scaled measurementof the crown to visor, IO14 inches instead of III/2.and in the visor contour when compared with thesealed sample. In this, however, it should be notedthat all the headgear in the lithographs are designatedfor officers." The Custer helmet conforms tothese (Figure 30) and stays within range of theprinted specifications in other respects, except asto quality.The difficulty of two contractors, in differentcities, producing such a helmet without some variationin contour resulted in two distinct helmetshapes although in each case measurements are thesame. Figure 31 is of the sealed sample made byHorstmann. Figure 32 is of an example made byBent & Bush of Boston.''' Notice that where therear of the Horstmann example slopes almost immediatelyfrom the center of the crown, the bodyof the Bent & Bush helmet is much more fullyrounded, the "lobster tail" sloping to the rear froma much lower point and giving the illusion of itspoint being closer to the point of the visor, whichit is not. Also, where the rear of the Horstmannhelmet has a very gentle curve from side to side,the sides of the Bent & Bush "lobster tail" aresharply almost squared in. These differences werenoted and commented on by quartermaster officers,but no corrective action is known to have beentaken."' One other small but noticeable differencebetween the Horstmann and Bent & Bush helmetsis in the type of ventilators used; where Horstmannused a round screen wire model. Bent & Bush usedone resembling a pinwheel but without movingparts (not observable on Figure 32).The proper manner of attaching and arrangingthe helmet cords in a uniform manner throughoutthe <strong>Army</strong> proved a bit of a problem and in 1873a general order was issued clarifying the matter.The helmet cords will be attached to the left side of thehelmet and come down to the left shoulder, where they areheld together by a slide; one cord then passes to the frontand the other to the rear of the neck, crossing upon theright shoulder and passing separately around to the frontand rear of the right arm, where they are again united andheld together by a slide under the arm; the united cordsthen cross the breast and are looped up to the upper buttonon the left side of the coat.^'The general reaction to the helmet was not favorable.Captain John R. Rogers of the PhiladelphiaDepot, commenting from the practical angleof a veteran quartermaster officer, thought thecrown too light and not broad enough to take thestrain of the plume and socket and the bindingaround the edges too light and too narrow. (Indeed,of the enlisted models examined, all haveeither cracked crowns or split visors or both.) StillRogers believed it to be "the most sightly headgear"he had ever seen."" Col. Henry Hunt, 5thArtillery, who had been a member of the MarcyBoard, stated that the issue item was "not accordingto the model selected in 1872"; the visor wastoo large and awkward, the helmet in general didnot have the military style of the pattern, and the
NUMBER 30 46FIGURE 29.—1872 enlisted ihan's helmet.plume was too large, awkward, heavy, and long.'"The largest number of comments came as a resultof General Order No. 6, War Department, 29January 1875, which directed commanding officersof posts to comment on, among other things, thesuitability of the clothing then issued.^* The generalconsensus published in Circular No. 8 by theSurgeon General's Office"" was that the helmet wastoo heavy, had too steep a visor, and generallycaused headaches. A survey of the actual correspondenceon which the circular was based placesthe emphasis somewhat differently. The greatest
Page 1: • ^ - :lP-'L^ry\'^ ^iT
Page 4 and 5: ABSTRACTHowell, Edgar M. United Sta
Page 7 and 8: ContentsPagePrefaceiiiThe 1855 Cava
Page 9 and 10: United States Army Headgear 1855-19
Page 11 and 12: NUMBER 30report, stated: "The hat p
Page 13 and 14: NUMBER 30acorns %g inches long and
Page 15 and 16: NUMBER 30the pattern." The rate of
Page 17 and 18: NUMBER 30FIGURE 3.—1858 Army hat.
Page 19 and 20: NUMBER 3011model, number 60 in the
Page 21 and 22: NUMBER 30 13"the desired modificati
Page 23 and 24: NUMBER 30 15the sun in the top. The
Page 25 and 26: NUMBER 30 17FIGURE 8.—1858 forage
Page 27 and 28: NUMBER 30 19Hardtack and Coffee, ca
Page 29 and 30: NUMBER 3021FIGURE 11.—a, Brigadie
Page 31 and 32: NUMBER 30 23short "shell" jacket "f
Page 33 and 34: NUMBER 30 26broad, securely soldere
Page 35 and 36: NUMBER 30 27worn in the picture wer
Page 37 and 38: NUMBER 30 29This communication elic
Page 39 and 40: NUMBER 30 31FIGURE 17.—"The [Scot
Page 41 and 42: NUMBER 30 33time for issue in the c
Page 43 and 44: NUMBER 30 35be at too great a dista
Page 45 and 46: NUMBER 3037half (5/2) part of washb
Page 47 and 48: NUMBER 30 39trimmings for all enlis
Page 49 and 50: NUMBER 30 41ing the upper space for
Page 51: NUMBER 30rear one to a correspondin
Page 55 and 56: NUMBER 3047FIGURE 32.—^The Bent &
Page 57 and 58: NUMBER 3049of strong split-leather
Page 59 and 60: NUMBER 30 51''""MttfenFIGURE 35.—
Page 61 and 62: NUMBER 30 53(which he thought might
Page 63 and 64: NUMBER 30 55FIGURE 38.—Captain Be
Page 65 and 66: NUMBER 30 57campaign hat for the Ar
Page 67 and 68: NUMBER 30 59salvage something from
Page 69 and 70: NUMBER 30 61hat. In June 1899 the P
Page 71 and 72: NUMBER 3063the left side, pass diag
Page 73 and 74: NUMBER 30 65.LJU^.."*^..FIGURE 44.
Page 75 and 76: NUMBER 30 67to be sent to Washingto
Page 77 and 78: NUMBER 30 69with brass sliding-buck
Page 79 and 80: NUMBER 30 71FIGURE 48.—Officers'
Page 81 and 82: NUMBER 3073The adoption of the whit
Page 83 and 84: NUMBER 3075i >•^\Wiii I ifiiiniim
Page 85 and 86: NUMBER 30this last model made no pr
Page 87 and 88: NUMBER 30 79WAR DEPARTMENT,QUARTERM
Page 89 and 90: NUMBER 3081FIGURE 58.—1864 chapea
Page 91 and 92: NUMBER 30geon 1880 and Surgeon Gene
Page 93 and 94: NUMBER 3085FIGURE 63.—1895 forage
Page 95 and 96: NUMBER 30 87of not less than 9.24 g
Page 97 and 98: AppendixMAKERS OF HEADGEARThe chron
Page 99 and 100: List of AbbreviationsAAGAAQMAGAGOAQ
Page 101 and 102: NUMBER 3093all OQMG, LS, Clothing,
Page 103 and 104:
NUMBER 30 95"Jesup to Thomas, 8 Dec
Page 105 and 106:
NUMBER 3097OQMG, Reg. LR, Clothing,
Page 107 and 108:
NUMBER 30 99October of 1870. See Me
Page 109 and 110:
NUMBER 30 101'"* See above, pp. 35-
Page 111 and 112:
NUMBER 30 103Monroe, Va., in 1878.
Page 113 and 114:
NUMBER 30 105""Endorsement, 24 May
Page 115 and 116:
ReferencesThe bulk of the source ma
Page 117:
M MBIiR 30 10910, No. 355-10, 19 Se
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United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

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